The Los Angeles Lakers went into Wednesday’s game against the Spurs having lost three straight, including blowout defeats at the hands of the Nuggets and Suns. Head coach JJ Redick vowed to make changes after Tuesday’s loss to the Suns, and the most notable move was to re-insert rookie Dalton Knecht (30% rostered, Yahoo) into the starting lineup. However, he would replace Cam Reddish, who offered little offensive value as a starter. The move worked, with Knecht scoring a team-high 20 points in the Lakers’ win over the Spurs.
In addition to the 20 points, Knecht tallied eight rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four 3-pointers in 31 minutes. While the scoring punch made him a player worth holding onto in deep leagues despite coming off the bench, Knecht is even more valuable to fantasy managers as a starter. The Lakers will play two more games in Week 6, beginning with the Thunder on Friday, so now would be a perfect time to check the waiver wire and ensure that Knecht is unavailable. If he is, however, pick him up.
Let’s look at some of the other top pickups from Wednesday’s 14-game slate:
Scotty Pippen Jr. (40%), Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies were again without Ja Morant, this time due to a knee injury, which pushed Pippen into the starting lineup. He finished Wednesday’s blowout of the Pistons with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one 3-pointer, shooting 9-of-12 from the field. Not only is Pippen worth adding with Morant sidelined, but he’ll also be worth holding onto in some leagues, even after the Grizzlies welcome back their star point guard. Backup point guards have been capable of providing reliable fantasy value in the past, such as T.J. McConnell (and Ty Jerome this year). Why can’t Pippen do the same?
Malik Monk (32%), Sacramento Kings
Monk and De’Aaron Fox took over in the fourth quarter of Sacramento’s win over Minnesota, combining to score 20 of the team’s 34 points. Monk, who scored 11 in the frame, would finish with 27 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes, shooting 11-of-16 from the field. Despite coming off the bench, his ability to score in bunches is vital to a team without DeMar DeRozan (back).
De’Andre Hunter (31%), Atlanta Hawks
Hunter continues to come off the bench, but that hasn’t prevented him from maintaining top-100 value in 9-cat formats. He finished Wednesday’s win over Cleveland with 26 points, five rebounds, one assist, and five 3-pointers in 30 minutes. The playing time has been there, even if the defensive stats haven’t. There are also availability concerns due to Hunter’s injury history, but he’s scored 20 points or more in four of the eight games he’s played. Atlanta ends Week 6 with games against Cleveland (Friday) and Charlotte (Saturday), so this would be an excellent time to roll the dice on Hunter and see what he can provide ahead of Week 7.
Malcolm Brogdon (30%), Washington Wizards
Brogdon continues to start, and he was one of the few Wizards to do anything of note in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Clippers. In 22 minutes, he accounted for 17 points, one rebound, six assists, two steals, one block, and one 3-pointer. His return from a broken hand suffered in the preseason has pushed Bub Carrington down in the pecking order (much to the chagrin of many fantasy managers). Still, Brogdon has done enough to merit more significant consideration in deep leagues.
Scoot Henderson (22%), Portland Trail Blazers
Henderson was back on the floor after a three-game absence due to injury and performed well in the Blazers’ loss to the Pacers. Shooting 6-of-11 from the field, he tallied 17 points, two rebounds, nine assists, one block, three 3-pointers, and just one turnover in 35 minutes. The foul shooting (2-of-6) wasn’t good, but the overall efficiency was encouraging. Even with a healthy Anferee Simons in the lineup, Henderson will play a lot off the bench when healthy. Also, make sure Deni Avdija (62%) is floating around on your league’s waiver wire, especially if Jerami Grant (knee) remains sidelined.
Goga Bitadze (21%), Orlando Magic
The return of Wendell Carter Jr. (32%) was not the end of Bitadze’s streaming hopes, as some (myself included) may have anticipated. At least for one game. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley started them together in Wednesday’s win over Chicago, with Bitadze recording a line of 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 25 minutes. To keep Bitadze in the starting lineup, rookie Tristan da Silva dropped to the bench. It will be interesting to see how long Mosley sticks with this lineup, especially with Carter’s minutes being restricted. If you held onto Bitadze or forgot to make a move before lineups locked, the decision (or lack of one) paid dividends on Wednesday.
Marcus Smart (21%), Memphis Grizzlies
Stat lines in blowouts can always be a bit wonky, but Smart was excellent in the Grizzlies’ win over Detroit. In just 20 minutes of action, he put up 25 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals, and seven 3-pointers. While he may not be as impacted by Ja Morant’s absence as Scotty Pippen Jr., Smart is also in line to benefit offensively. And with the Grizzlies playing twice more in Week 6, adding him now wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Ayo Dosunmu (20%), Chicago Bulls
Bulls games this season have usually guaranteed a lot of possessions and a lot of points, as Chicago leads the NBA in pace but ranks 27th in defensive rating. Dosunmu has started the team’s last four games for the injured Patrick Williams, scoring 20 points or more twice. He finished Wednesday’s loss to Orlando with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer, shooting 10-of-12 from the field. Williams doesn’t have a timeline for return, making now an excellent time to hop onto the Dosunmu bandwagon.
Naji Marshall (18%), Dallas Mavericks
I said it before, and I’ll repeat it: Marshall needs to be rostered while the Mavericks are without Luka Doncic. While he’s only started two of the four games the Mavs have been without their star point guard, Marshall’s offensive production has been consistent. He’s scored 20 points or more in four straight, most recently finishing Wednesday’s beating of the Knicks with 24 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers. Of course, some defensive production would be nice (one steal and no blocks in his last four), but Marshall’s offensive play has been too good to pass up.
Guerschon Yabusele (8%), Philadelphia 76ers
Yabusele has started Philadelphia’s last three games, and he was excellent in Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Rockets. Playing 43 of a possible 53 minutes, he tallied a season-high 22 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers. Along with rookie Jared McCain, Yabusele has been one of the few positives for Philadelphia in a putrid start to the season. The 76ers only have one more game in Week 6, but with Paul George and Joel Embiid not appearing likely to be available for Saturday’s game in Detroit, adding Yabusele would be a good idea.
Spencer Dinwiddie (2%), Dallas Mavericks
While Dinwiddie’s heater has lasted for two games compared to Naji Marshall’s four, he’s another player in position to garner more opportunities to perform with Luka Doncic sidelined. He finished Dallas’ win over the Knicks with 21 points, three rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 33 minutes off the bench. Well done to the few who gambled on Dinwiddie even after he shot 1-of-12 in the November 24 overtime loss to Miami. He’s scored 43 on 14-of-22 shooting in the two games since.
Isaiah Joe (2%), Oklahoma City Thunder
Joe started Wednesday’s win over the Warriors and played 31 minutes, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four 3-pointers. What was also noteworthy from this game was Jalen Williams exiting during the first half with an apparent left eye injury. If he misses time, Joe becomes even more important to the Thunder, especially on offense. Cason Wallace (4%), who started the third quarter for Williams and played 33 minutes, will also be worth a look in this scenario.
